Partnership Training Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Partnership Training Limited

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Apprenticeships Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Information about this provider

Partnership Training Limited (Partnership Training) is an independent learning provider based in Wilmslow, Cheshire. Partnership Training specialises in apprenticeships in adult social care and childcare. It provides apprenticeship programmes from levels 2 to 5 throughout England.

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Information about this provider

At the time of the inspection, there were 571 apprentices in learning. Almost all apprentices study on adult care or children, young people and families apprenticeships, with the largest numbers following the level 2 adult care worker, level 3 lead adult care worker, level 4 children, young people and families practitioner or level 5 leader in adult care apprenticeship standards. The remaining apprentices are enrolled on other care, administration, leadership and management apprenticeship standards between level 3 and 5. 10 to 13 January 2023

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices demonstrate positive attitudes to their studies and are eager to put into practice what they have learned. As a result of their training, they communicate more effectively with their service users, including those who are non-verbal, and provide better support to those in their care. They feel valued by their employers and tutors. Apprentices remain motivated to complete their apprenticeship and succeed. They have high levels of attendance.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Most apprentices benefit from a broad curriculum beyond the requirements of their apprenticeship. They benefit from additional learning and training on topics including mental health awareness, managing anxiety, conflict resolution, communication in care and unconscious bias. Apprentices appreciate the support and motivation given by their tutors. They grow in confidence and self-esteem and are more easily able to ask for help when they need it. The vast majority of apprentices remain in the care sector, gain promotion or progress to further studies.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices benefit from training and information on the professional standards and expectations for the care sector. Tutors model the caring, nurturing behaviours and attitudes they expect their apprentices to develop and comment that ‘you have to care, to be in care’. Apprentices embody these positive caring attitudes and behaviours in learning and at work. Apprentices have a passion for working in the care sector.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices feel safe at work. They explain how they use a range of systems to check on their own and colleagues’ safety at night in a residential setting, such as regular telephone calls, buddy systems, incident and logbooks, and effective communication at handover times. Most apprentices have a good understanding of radicalisation and extremist behaviour. They know how to recognise the signs of extremism, such as changes in their colleagues’ behaviour at work. However, they are less well informed about the local risks in the areas in which they live and work.

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better?

Leaders and managers have a clear rationale for the curriculum they offer in the adult care and children, young people and families sector. They work closely with employers to develop a bespoke range of apprenticeships to recruit, develop, retain and rebuild the care workforce. Staff are ambitious for their apprentices. They continually adapt and enhance the curriculum to ensure that apprentices complete training early in their programme in risk assessment, ‘donning and doffing’ of personal protective equipment, infection control and end-of-life care. Apprentices quickly learn the skills they need to become valuable members of staff.

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better?

Leaders and tutors collect a range of information about what apprentices already know and can do, such as their vocational experience in care. They discuss 10 to 13 January 2023

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apprentices’ prior knowledge and experience with apprentices and their employers to plan the curriculum content to meet individual apprentice’s needs.

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Leaders ensure that tutors teach the curriculum in a logical order, to help apprentices build their new knowledge, skills and behaviours incrementally. Tutors are flexible and alter the order of learning to meet changing priorities and needs. Adult care worker apprentices begin with safeguarding and communication to secure their basic knowledge of care. They move on to practical elements, such as providing person-centred care, before they focus on specialised areas, such as autism, challenging behaviour and dementia. Apprentices develop their knowledge and skills for work, and most make at least their expected levels of progress.

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Apprentices gain significant new knowledge, skills and behaviours. They support adults with challenging behaviours and manage situations using positive behaviour strategies. Apprentices put into practice techniques to build trust and rapport with the adults they care for, such as understanding facial expressions and spending time with them to gain their trust. Apprentices develop professional communication skills and apply them at work. Childcare apprentices work in a multidisciplinary team and ensure effective safeguarding of the children in their care. They learn how to work with traumatised children and set boundaries, to develop safe and therapeutic relationships. As a result, apprentices become better at their job.

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Tutors link theoretical learning well to practical application at work. They skilfully question apprentices to consolidate prior learning and make links to new topics, helping them apply their knowledge of health and safety legislation to workplace practice. Apprentices become competent and valued employees.

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Apprentices produce work of a good standard. They reflect on their learning and demonstrate the contribution that their learning has made to their employers’ businesses. Apprentices explain abuse in care settings. They highlight the importance of safe recruitment of staff and the lessons learned from the Winterbourne Report.

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Tutors provide useful feedback on the structure of written work, such as the need to improve punctuation. Apprentices improve their writing skills quickly. However, tutors do not routinely provide sufficient detail on improving the content of apprentices’ work, notably for those already performing well. As a result, a few apprentices do not know what they need to do to further improve their work for future assignment submissions.

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Tutors and employers plan on- and off-the-job training effectively to ensure that apprentices gain a wider understanding of the care sector. Apprentices attend training sessions covering topics such as epilepsy training, accurate reporting and recording of information, supporting people with Asperger syndrome, the impact of non-verbal communication, and self-harm and suicide. They incorporate this to improve their practice and performance at work. 10 to 13 January 2023

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Apprentices know the requirements of the end-point assessment and the grades they can achieve. They are ambitious to do well. Tutors prepare apprentices well for their final assessments. Most apprentices achieve high grades in their apprenticeship.

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Apprentices receive effective initial advice and guidance to ensure that they are on the right apprenticeship and understand the requirements of their apprenticeship. Tutors and employers provide careers guidance and discuss training and apprenticeship routes available within the sector. However, apprentices are not aware of the wider options and next steps available to them beyond their current pathway. Careers advice and guidance is too informal. It does not expose apprentices to the full range of opportunities open to them.

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Managers and tutors do not plan or develop apprentices’ knowledge for functional skills in English and mathematics soon enough. A minority of apprentices make slow progress towards the achievement of functional skills, fall behind and subsequently fail to complete their apprenticeship on time.

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However, on the higher-level programmes where most apprentices already have qualifications in English and mathematics, their further development is successfully embedded and linked to industry. For example, apprentices successfully apply mathematics in calculations of medication dosage and children’s pocket money.

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Leaders ensure that tutors are well-qualified, experienced professionals in the care sector. They use effective quality assurance processes to inform continuous professional development. Tutors benefit from a range of teaching and vocational training to maintain their sector competence and bring the curriculum to life. They improve their teaching skills to provide high-quality training. Tutors feel valued and cared for. They appreciate the meaningful development opportunities, including support with mental health and resilience that leaders provide.

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Governors and leaders know the provision well. They understand its strengths and weaknesses. Governors use their knowledge, experience and skills in education and training to hold senior leaders to account for the quality of provision. Leaders have successfully rectified the vast majority of weaknesses identified at the previous inspection.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and safeguarding team have the experience and training to carry out their roles effectively. They use effective policies and procedures to keep their apprentices and their service users safe. The DSL and team regularly review and update staff training on safeguarding. 10 to 13 January 2023

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Leaders use their extensive experience in the care sector to develop a strong culture of safeguarding. Apprentices feel safe and benefit from regular training to improve their understanding of how to keep themselves safe. The safeguarding team use appropriate procedures and systems to record, action and follow up on any safeguarding issues and incidents swiftly and effectively.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders should ensure that tutors routinely provide feedback that helps apprentices improve the quality of their work and reach their potential.  Leaders and tutors should ensure that they provide more formal careers information and advice and guidance to apprentices throughout their programme so that they are aware of the full range of opportunities, next steps and career pathways available to them.  Leaders and managers should ensure that apprentices who need qualifications in English and mathematics receive more timely tuition so that they achieve quickly and do not suffer delays in completing their apprenticeships.  Leaders and tutors should take swift action to ensure that apprentices receive the support they need to catch up and achieve quickly when they fall behind. 10 to 13 January 2023

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Provider details

Address Pentland House Village Way Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 2GH

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Provider details

Website http://www.partnershiptrainingltd.co.uk

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Principal, CEO or equivalent

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Principal, CEO or equivalent

Date of previous inspection 18 to 21 February 2020

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Principal, CEO or equivalent

Main subcontractors N/A 10 to 13 January 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the director, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. The inspection was carried out using the further education and skills inspection handbook and took into account all relevant provision at the provider. Inspectors collected a wide range of evidence to inform judgements, including visiting learning sessions, scrutinising learners’ work, seeking the views of learners, staff and other stakeholders, and examining the provider’s documentation and records.

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Inspection team

Alastair Mollon, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Kelly Perkin His Majesty’s Inspector Maria Rayworth Ofsted Inspector Rick Fothergill Ofsted Inspector Debbie Whiston Ofsted Inspector Sam Hanmer Ofsted Inspector 10 to 13 January 2023

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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